Not Applicable
Not Applicable
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to measuring devices for golf clubs. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and device for measuring the loft angle and lie angle of a golf club.
2. Description of the Related Art
As golf clubs are designed with a given angle between the club-face and the vertical plane (loft angle) and also an angle between the shaft centerline and the horizontal plane (lie angle), there has always been the necessity for a method of measuring these angles.
Almost all of the devices designed to measure these angles have consisted of a clamping device to hold the club-head in a position such that the plane of the sole of the club is as close to parallel with the horizontal plane as possible. Protractors (or protractor-like attachments) have been used to measure the angle of the shaft relative to the face plane (to give loft angle) and to measure the angle of the shaft relative to the horizontal plane. This method, although relatively effective and commonly used (and accepted) in the golf industry, has a number of shortcomings that can adversely affect the quality of the measurements taken.
Firstly, the outside of the shaft is used as the reference measuring arm rather than the shaft center-line. As all shafts have a certain amount of taper to them, the outside of the shaft is always at a slight angle to the shaft center-line, therefore introducing a slight xe2x80x9coffset anglexe2x80x9d which will very depending on the shaft design. Secondly, the set-up of the club head within the clamping device is heavily reliant on human input and therefore influenced by individual bias. As almost all golf clubs have a certain amount of curvature to the sole, it can be very difficult to align the sole plane with the horizontal. Therefore, the grooves of the club face tend to be used, combined with an alignment aid on clamping device, to achieve a consistent clamped position. This methodology lends itself to introducing human bias and a difference of measurements from operator to operator. Thirdly, the measurement protractors themselves tend to be of the analog variety and have a maximum accuracy of +/xe2x88x920.5xc2x0 for a skilled operator which reduces the accuracy and consistency of measurements, especially from operator to operator. Finally, while iron clubs are relatively easy to clamp in position, the design of metal woods is such that holding the club in a consistent orientation by clamping the club is very difficult. Therefore, a different tool is required to measure metal woods and this tool tends to be less sophisticated in measurement method and even more dependent on the familiarity of the operator with the tool. Therefore there can be limitations in trying to correlate loft and lie angles measured for metal woods with those measured for irons.
In summary, although there are recognized tools and methods for the measurement of loft and lie angles, there are inherent inaccuracies and losses in consistency associated with their use and the training of the operator.
The present invention provides an efficient and accurate means for measuring the loft angle and the lie angle of a golf club. The present invention also allows for the loft angle and the lie angle to be compared to known values for a particular golf club.
One aspect of the present invention is a method for measuring the loft angle and the lie angle of a golf club having a plurality of scorelines. The method begins with placing a golf club within a measuring device. The plurality of scorelines of the golf club face toward an encoder of the measuring device. Next, a plurality of lie pins of the encoder are aligned with a scoreline of the plurality of scorelines. Next, the plurality of lie pins engage the surface of the scoreline. Next, the lie angle of the golf club is measured and recorded electronically. Next, a first loft pin of the encoder is aligned with at least one scoreline of the plurality of scorelines and a second loft pin is aligned with the face of the golf club. Next, the first loft pin engages the surface of the scoreline, and the second loft pin engages the surface of the face of the golf club. Finally, the loft angle of the golf club is measured and recorded electronically.
Another aspect of the present invention is an apparatus for measuring loft and lie angles of a golf club. The apparatus includes a platform, a securing means, an encoder and a transmitting means. The securing means secures a golf club in an address position. The securing means is disposed on the platform. The encoder has a loft angle measurement mechanism and a lie angle measurement mechanism. The encoder is capable of five axial movements for engagement of each of the loft angle measurement mechanism and the lie angle measurement mechanism with the club face. The loft angle mechanism has a plurality of loft pins and the lie angle mechanism has a plurality of lie pins. The transmitting means transmits the loft angle and lie angle measurements for recordation on the apparatus or on computer.
Having briefly described the present invention, the above and further objects, features and advantages thereof will be recognized by those skilled in the pertinent art from the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.